Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

 

The diagram below shows how a biofuel called ethanol is produced.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the process of ethanol production right from the plant harvest to the actual biofuel ethanol.

Overall, the production involves several series of stages. Beginning with plant growth and harvest to microbes introduction in the final step.

To begin with, the plants and trees are allowed to grow by utilizing sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as energy sources. After certain growth they are harvested and subjected to pre-processing where the raw plant is treated mechanically to produce a substance called cellulose.

This is followed by transporting the cellulose to the industry for processing of the biofuel i.e., ethanol. In the next step, after processing, sugars were formed to which various types of microbes are added. The final product ethanol is now produced and ready. It is then employed into different vehicles such as, cars, trucks, and airplanes in order to run them efficiently. As these vehicles release carbon dioxide which is in turn utilized by the plants and trees to grow and provide raw material for further ethanol production.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all the main stages of the ethanol production process depicted in the diagram, beginning with plant growth and ending with its application in vehicles and the subsequent carbon dioxide cycle. The student accurately highlights key steps such as plant harvesting, mechanical pre-processing into cellulose, transportation, sugar formation, and the introduction of microbes. However, the overview is somewhat repetitive, noting that it involves a 'series of stages' without clearly synthesizing the entire cyclical nature of the process up front. While the main features are selected and reported, the development of ideas lacks precise detailing in places, such as explaining how cellulose is converted into sugars. Overall, the response meets the core requirements of Task Achievement, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a generally clear overall progression, moving logically from the initial growth phase through industrial processing to the final usage in transportation. Paragraphing is utilized, though the structure could be improved by separating the introduction, the core manufacturing steps, and the concluding cycle into more distinct blocks of text. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'This is followed by', and 'In the next step' are employed to guide the reader, but some referencing is slightly mechanical or awkward, such as the sentence fragment starting with 'As these vehicles release...'. Despite these minor flaws in cohesion and referencing, the logical flow is maintained throughout the response, supporting a solid Band 6.5 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate lexical range suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, successfully employing subject-specific vocabulary related to the diagram such as 'cellulose', 'microbes', 'pre-processing', and 'carbon dioxide'. There are attempts to use less common items and phrasing, though some word choices are slightly unnatural or imprecise, such as 'microbes introduction' instead of 'the introduction of microbes' and 'employed into different vehicles'. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text. While minor inaccuracies in word formation and collocation prevent the response from achieving a higher band, the vocabulary utilized is sufficient to convey the main information clearly, placing it firmly at a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases ('Beginning with plant growth...') and relative clauses. There is good control over basic grammatical structures, and punctuation is generally sound. However, a few noticeable grammatical errors and awkward constructions occur, such as the tense shift in 'sugars were formed to which various types of microbes are added' and the sentence fragment at the end: 'As these vehicles release carbon dioxide which is in turn utilized by the plants...'. These errors do not impede overall communication, but the frequency of minor structural slips keeps the score at a Band 6.0.

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